Shloka 42
कर्ण-पाण्डव-संमर्दः — Karṇa and Arjuna’s Intensified Engagement
पतद्धि: पतितैश्वान्यैर्गतासुभिरनेकश: । कृतो राजन् महाराज पुत्राणां ते जनक्षय:,राजन्! महाराज! कुछ सैनिक गिर रहे थे, कुछ गिर चुके थे और दूसरे बहुत-से योद्धा प्राणशून्य हो गये थे; उन सबके कारण आपके पुत्रोंकी सेनामें बड़ा भारी नरसंहार हुआ
sañjaya uvāca |
patadbhiḥ patitaiś cānyair gatāsubhir anekaśaḥ |
kṛto rājan mahārāja putrāṇāṃ te janakṣayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O King, O great monarch—amid warriors who were falling, those already fallen, and many others lying lifeless in great numbers, a vast slaughter of men was wrought within the army of your sons.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war: beyond tactics and heroism lies the stark reality of widespread death. It implicitly warns that attachment to victory and kinship pride culminates in irreversible human loss.
Sanjaya reports to the blind king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) that, amid continuous falling and fallen warriors and many lying dead, a great slaughter has occurred in the army of the king’s sons (the Kauravas).